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CHL SELF-STUDY LESSON PLAN

BY LISA HUBER, BA, CRCST, CIS, CHL, ACE, FCS – CLINICAL EDUCATION SPECIALIST, STERIS CORPORATION

Lesson No. CHL 372 (Supervisory Continuing Education - SCE)

The Importance of Delegation for the Central Service/ Sterile Processing Leader

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Review the reasons delegation is important for effective leadership2. Describe the basic steps to delegate effectively3. Outline the levels of delegation

Objective 1: Review the reasons delegation is important for effective leadershipDelegation is one of the most important management skills. Effective delegation saves time, helps develop individuals, motivates staff and can help groom a successor. Poor delegation causes frustration, confuses and demotivates others and often leads to the failed completion of tasks. Delegation is a management skill that is worthy of greater understanding and improvement. Delegating is not asking someone to do work the Central Service/Sterile Processing (CS/SP) leader should be doing and it is not taking tasks off the CS/SP leader’s plate, so he or she has more free time. It is important for the CS/SP leader to understand which tasks can and should be delegated, so there is enough time to accomplish more complex and time-consuming tasks themselves. Delegation is a two-way process that requires responsibility from both the person delegating the task and the person or team being delegated to. The person delegating the task must ensure the delegation happens properly and the task

is completed (and done so satisfactorily). The recipient of the delegated task has the opportunity to “manage upwards” and suggest improvements to the delegation process. Managing how one receives and agrees to do delegated tasks is one of the central skills of managing upwards. Delegation is a helpful aid for succession planning and it allows others to experience job growth and gain confidence with the additional responsibilities.Note: The first time any task is delegated, it will most likely take longer than if one were to do the task on their own; this is normal, and delegation will become easier over time.

Objective 2: Describe the basic steps to delegate effectivelyDelegation of tasks must be carefully planned to be successful. The following nine steps can help CS/SP leaders achieve positive outcomes when delegating tasks to others:

Step 1: Define the task. Before delegating a task to someone else, a CS/SP leader should ask him or herself a series of

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CHL SELF-STUDY LESSON PLAN

questions, such as: Is this a task that is appropriate to delegate? Does it meet the criteria for delegating? Do I understand the task well enough to explain it to someone else? Do I have a thorough understanding of the desired results or outcome? If the answers to these questions are “yes,” the CS/SP leader can then proceed through the subsequent steps.

Step 2: Select the individual or team to whom the task will be delegated. The CS/SP leader must consider the reasons for delegating a task to a specific person or team. Is the person or team up to the responsibility? Are they qualified to perform the task? What benefit will the person or team gain by doing the task? How will the leader benefit by delegating the task? Making a poor choice about whom to delegate to can damage confidence in the delegation process, so it is essential to choose a person or people whose skills and strengths are aligned to the task.

Step 3: Assess ability and training needs. The CS/SP leader must assess the ability of the person or team members who will be handling the task. If it is a one-time task delegation, it isn’t a good use of time to provide extensive training; however, if the task delegation will be ongoing, allocating time for more focused training time will make sense. For example, if staff scheduling is the task to be delegated, it may take a long time to train someone on a complex scheduling system for just one scheduling period. On the other hand, if staff scheduling is to be delegated permanently, extensive training is time well spent. If it is determined that training is necessary, time for training must be scheduled.

Step 4: Explain the reasons. When the CS/SP leader has selected the person or

people to be delegated to, it is important to explain to them why the task or responsibility is being delegated, why they were chosen for the delegation and how leadership expects them to grow from the experience. It is also important to explain the relevance and importance of the task and where it fits into the overall scheme of the work.

Step 5: State the required results. CS/SP leaders should be specific about why the task needs to be done and what results must be achieved. Understanding can be clarified by soliciting feedback from the other person or team. It is essential to explain how the task will be measured and ensure the person or team knows how it will be determined that the job was successfully completed.

Step 6: Consider the resources required. The CS/SP leader should discuss and agree upon required resources with the person or people with whom the work has been delegated. Resources can include people, meeting location, equipment, time, budget, training, materials or anything else required for the completion of the task.

Step 7: Agree upon deadlines. When must the task be completed? If the task is ongoing, when are the review dates? Some tasks may be very complex or

may have multiple parts or stages. If so, the CS/SP leader must be clear about the priorities and timeline. Methods for reviewing, checking and controlling the task must also be agreed upon. Failure to agree upon this in advance can make the monitoring process seem more like interference and create a lack of trust. This is also a good time to review all previous points to confirm understanding, answer any questions the person or team has and listen to any ideas the person or team may already have.

Step 8: Support and communicate. The CS/SP leader should consider who else needs to know about the delegation of the task and then inform them. This will allow the individual or individuals who were delegated the task to more clearly see how the delegated task affects other areas of the healthcare facility. It is important to inform the person or people who will be managing the task of any awkward matters of politics or protocol. If the person being delegated to will be working with someone else on a project, it is the responsibility of the CS/SP leader to inform that person of the change. The CS/SP leader should inform his or her own boss if the task is of importance or sufficient profile within the organization. After the task has been delegated, staff has been trained and a follow-up has

Delegation is not simply a matter of telling someone else what to do. There is a wide variety of freedom and decision making that one can confer on another person or people. The more experienced and reliable the other person is, the more freedom can be afforded.

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CHL SELF-STUDY LESSON PLAN

been scheduled, it is important that the CS/SP leader back away from the project and resist the urge to micromanage. For both the leader and the person or people responsible for the delegated task to succeed, the leader must let go.

Step 9: Provide feedback on results. It is essential that communication be ongoing and regular. The CS/SP leader must let the person or people responsible for the delegated task know how they are doing and whether they are achieving the established goals. If established goals are not being reached and the task is not being done satisfactorily, the CS/SP leader and the person or people responsible for the task must review why things did not go as planned and deal with the problems. The CS/SP leader must deal with the consequences of failure and give credit where due for success.

Objective 3: Outline the levels of delegationDelegation is not simply a matter of telling someone else what to do. There is a wide variety of freedom and decision making that one can confer on another person or people. The more experienced and reliable the other person is, the more freedom can be afforded. CS/SP leaders must be cautious when giving a lot of freedom for critical tasks, especially when the leader’s job or reputation depends upon achieving a good result. The amount of responsibility and authority delegated will depend upon the importance of the task and the experience and competence of the person or people with whom the task has been delegated. There are five levels of delegation – the first level being the least amount of delegation and the fifth level being the highest level of staff responsibility with the leader retaining responsibility. Keep in mind there are many levels in-

between and beyond the levels discussed in this lesson, each with a greater level of authority. The CS/SP leader must carefully choose which level to assign to a task. If the leader is unclear, the person or people who will be expected to undertake the task should be asked which level of authority they are most comfortable with. What follows are the five levels of delegation:1. “Wait to be told” or “Do exactly what I say” or “Follow these instructions precisely.” This is instruction with no designated authority. This is a beginning level of delegation.2. “Tell me the situation and what help you need from me in assessing and handling it. Then we will decide.” This opens the possibility for greater freedom for analysis and decision making (subject to everyone agreeing this is appropriate). This level is helpful in growing and defining coaching and staff development.3. “Decide and let me know your decision and wait for my go-ahead before proceeding.” The person or people are trusted to assess the situation and options; they are most likely competent enough to decide and implement the task; however, for reasons of task importance or, perhaps, external factors, the leader prefers to keep control of timing. Keep in mind that this level of delegation can be frustrating if used too frequently or for too long.4. “Decide and take action – let me know what you did and what happened.” This delegation level, as with each step up the scale, saves even more time. This level is more hands-off but allows more positive feedback from the leader and is helpful in coaching and staff development.5. “Decide and take action – you need not check back with me.” This level presents the most freedom a leader can

give another person, while still retaining responsibility for the task. A high level of confidence is necessary. Feedback remains helpful and important, although the relationship is more one of mentoring than coaching.

ConclusionDelegation is an important part of effective leadership. Through effective delegation, CS/SP leaders will grow staff competence and confidence and allow more time in his or her own schedule to tackle more complex and time-consuming tasks required in today’s busy CS/SP departments.

For Further ReadingAccipio. 9 Steps to Successful Delegation.

www.accipio.com/eleadership/mod/wiki/view.

php?id=1686.

Craven, J. Great Leaders Perfect of the Art of

Delegation. Forbes. Feb. 21, 2018. www.forbes.

com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/02/21/

great-leaders-perfect-the-art-of-

delegation/#3c4acb271eb2.

Brightman, B. 8 Habits of Leaders Who Know

How to Delegate. Fast Company. July 31, 2015.

www.fastcompany.com/3049107/8-habits-of-

leaders-who-know-how-to-delegate.

Hyatt, M. The Five Levels of Delegation. https://

michaelhyatt.com/the-five-levels-of-delegation/.